The Regio XIII Aventinus is the thirteenth regio of imperial

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, under

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

's administrative reform. Regio XIII took its name from the hill which dominated the region, the Aventine.

Geographic extent and important features

Regio XIII not only contained the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the sou ...

, but also the plain in front of it. In extent, this region was bordered by the

Tiber River The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...

to the west, the

Circus Maximus The Circus Maximus (Latin for "largest circus"; Italian: ''Circo Massimo'') is an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy. In the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and lar ...

to the north, the ''Vicus Piscinae Publicae'' and the

Via Ostiensis The Via Ostiensis ( it, via Ostiense) was an important road in ancient Rome. It ran west from the city of Rome to its important sea port of Ostia Antica, from which it took its name. The road began near the Forum Boarium, ran between the Aventin ...

to the east, and the Aurelian Walls to the south. Its principal gate through the walls was the Porta Ostiensis. A measurement taken at the end of the 4th century recorded that the perimeter of the region was 18,000

Roman feet The ancient Roman units of measurement were primarily founded on the Hellenic system, which in turn was influenced by the Egyptian system and the Mesopotamian system. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented. Length T ...

(approximately 5.3 km). CestiusPyramide3

The region contained a number of temples, including the Temple of Diana (reportedly built by the king

Servius Tullius Servius Tullius was the legendary sixth king of Rome, and the second of its Etruscan dynasty. He reigned from 578 to 535 BC. Roman and Greek sources describe his servile origins and later marriage to a daughter of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, Rome ...

), the Temple of Minerva and the Temple of Juno Regina. It also contained several baths, including the Baths of Licinius Sura and the Baths of Decius. In this region, the ''

Armilustrium In ancient Roman religion, the Armilustrium was a festival in honor of Mars, the god of war, celebrated on October 19.H.H. Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'' (Cornell University Press, 1981), p. 195. On this day the weapo ...

'' was also celebrated. Regio XIII also contained the '' Emporium'', the first port built on the Tiber, and attached to the port were the warehouses of the ''

Horrea Galbae The Horrea Galbae were warehouses (''horrea'') in the southern part of ancient Rome, located between the southern end of the Aventine Hill and the waste dump of Monte Testaccio. They ran for a substantial distance, possibly extending as far as the ...

'', built around the tomb of

Servius Sulpicius Galba Servius Sulpicius Galba may refer to: * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 144 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 108 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (praetor 54 BC), assassin of Julius Caesar * Galba, born Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman emperor fro ...

, while nearby was the ''

Forum Pistorium Located most likely on the Aventine Hill, the Forum Pistorium or the forum of the bakers numbered as a ''forum venalium'' of ancient Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ...

''. The region also possessed two unusual features still present today:

Monte Testaccio Monte Testaccio (; alternatively spelled Monte Testaceo; also known as Monte dei cocci) is an artificial mound in Rome composed almost entirely of ''testae'' ( it, cocci), fragments of broken ancient Roman pottery, nearly all discarded amphorae da ...

, an artificial hill, and the

Pyramid of Cestius The pyramid of Cestius (in Italian language, Italian, ''Piramide di Caio Cestio'' or ''Piramide Cestia'') is a Roman Era pyramid in Rome, Italy, near the Porta San Paolo and the Protestant Cemetery, Rome, Protestant Cemetery. It was built as a t ...

. At the turn of the 5th century, the Regio contained 17''

aedicula In ancient Roman religion, an ''aedicula'' (plural ''aediculae'') is a small shrine, and in classical architecture refers to a niche covered by a pediment or entablature supported by a pair of columns and typically framing a statue,"aedicula, n." ...

e'' (shrines), 130 '' domūs'' (patrician houses), 35 ''

horrea A ''horreum'' (plural: ''horrea'') was a type of public warehouse used during the ancient Roman period. Although the Latin term is often used to refer to granaries, Roman ''horrea'' were used to store many other types of consumables; the giant Hor ...

'' (warehouses), 60 '' balneae'' (bath houses) and 88 ''loci'' (fountains).

Subdivisions

At the turn of the 5th century, the Regio was divided into 17 '' vici'' (districts) and 2,487 ''

insulae The Latin word ''insula'' (literally meaning "island", plural ''insulae'') was used in Roman cities to mean either a city block in a city plan, i.e. a building area surrounded by four streets, or, later, a type of apartment building that occup ...

'' (blocks). It had two

curators A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

and was served by 48

Roman magistrate The Roman magistrates were elected officials in Ancient Rome. During the period of the Roman Kingdom, the King of Rome was the principal executive magistrate.Abbott, 8 His power, in practice, was absolute. He was the chief priest, lawgiver, judg ...

s.''Notitia'', REGIO XIII AVENTINVS

Notes

{{reflist

References

* Platner, Samuel Ball, ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome'', Oxford University Press (1929
(online version)
* Gregorovius, Ferdinand, ''History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages'', Vol. 1, (1894)

''Curiosum - Notitia''. 4th-century descriptions of the regions of Rome and their main buildings

from the original on 8 June 2019. Regions of Augustan Rome Subdivisions of Rome Topography of the ancient city of Rome